A person always lives with hope for a better future. This hope that one day the world will witness no oppression or injustice, and that justice and fairness will prevail everywhere, is one of the fundamental concerns of human beings. Therefore, the issue of the appearance of the Savior has been a mental preoccupation for many people throughout history.
When we look at the lives of the Pure Imams (peace be upon them), we repeatedly encounter this issue. The companions and followers of these great figures, in various circumstances, would raise questions regarding the Savior and express this mental concern. The Imams (peace be upon them) would, according to the capacity of the individuals, elaborate on this subject, discussing the conditions of the Savior’s appearance and the characteristics of the golden era that would follow. The following example is one such inquiry during the time of Imam Jawad (peace be upon him), where he addressed and responded to it:
Abdul Azim Hassani, one of the prominent disciples and companions of Imam Jawad (peace be upon him), approached the Imam and said: “I long to meet the Qa’im of the family of Muhammad (may Allah hasten his reappearance), the one who will fill the world with justice and fairness, after it has been filled with oppression and tyranny.”
Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) replied: “We, the Imams, are all the ones who are established by the command of the Lord and guide to the true religion. However, the Qa’im whom Allah will use to purify the earth from the people of disbelief and spread justice throughout the world is the one whose birth is concealed and who is hidden from view. He shares the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).”
“Allah will prepare the earth for him and ease every difficulty for him. From all corners of the world, 313 people will join him, the same number as the companions of the Battle of Badr. This is the meaning of Allah’s words: ‘Wherever you may be, Allah will gather you together, for Allah has power over all things.'”[1]
Then Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) said: “When these sincere people have gathered, Allah will issue the command for his appearance…”
Now, we are living in the time of the occultation of the twelfth Imam (peace be upon him), and the divine Savior remains hidden in this era. However, there is no doubt that with every passing moment, we are getting closer to the time of his reappearance. Given this situation, how much has the mental preoccupation with the Savior’s appearance, which has been discussed throughout history, occupied our thoughts? How much of our time in life do we spend reflecting on it and preparing ourselves and others? Let us think deeply about this…
(Excerpted from the book “The Practical Life of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), Volume 11”, written by Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Kazem Arfa’i)
Footnote:
[1] (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 148)